“Ride my face, baby.
“You scream so good.
“You taste like heaven.”
I cried out, hard, as he sucked my clit into his mouth, drawing a few more seconds of pure bliss. My chest heaved as I fell back onto the counter, completely spent. My legs were noodles. He kissed my inner thighs with a tender gaze.
Hayden winked and said, “Big fan of your panties.”
“That’s what…” I laughed, breathless. “You had your tongue on my pussy, and that’s what you say.”
“Mm.” His eyes flashed.
He slid my underwear back into place before massaging my calves. “I love your muscles. Have I ever told you that?”
I shook my head, absolutely melting at the feeling of his large hands on my legs. I’d dreamed of Hayden saying things like this to me. His bare chest glistened with sweat, and I needed to touch him. “I-I need to touch you.”
“This is about you, Char.” He cupped my face and kissed me softly. “To thank you for doing something so kind and thoughtful. I’d never have asked for help out of fear of being a burden.”
“You and Gwen are not a burden,” I fired back.
“I know that now.” He smiled. “Maybe we are good for each other after all.”
My heart skipped a beat. We should talk, but he was shirtless and standing right in front of me. “Hayden.” I ran my fingers down his warm chest, stopping at the waistband of his jeans.
He sucked in a breath.
“Please,” I whispered. His words held the weight of our unsaid things, and if we were communicating with soft touches, it was only fair we both got a turn.
He closed his eyes and took a heavy breath, his grip on my thighs tightening. When he met my gaze, his gray eyes were almost charcoal. His voice was raspy and laced with frustration when he said, “I want this so fucking bad, baby, but we need to talk first.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
HAYDEN
Was there an award for being the best version of myself? I wanted a ten-foot-tall trophy for the amount of strength it took to step back from Charlotte. My dream woman. Her body still shook from her orgasm, and her gorgeous, wide eyes were satisfied. Yet her posture straightened at my words, and something like fear flashed across her face.
My cock strained against my jeans, the almost feral need to touch her again about taking over every sense. But we still hadn’t talked about this. “Here, wear my sweatshirt.”
She pressed her lips together as I grabbed my hoodie and gently put it on her. It left her hair in a mess, and I grinned. “I like you in my clothes.”
She flashed a quick smile. “I like you without yours.”
Chuckling, I held out a hand and helped her off the counter. Her long, bare legs were such a tease, and while I was proud of myself for showing such restraint, my libidowas not pleased. She paused and stared at me. “Where should we sit since you want to talk instead of letting my tongue explore your body?”
Fuck, that was a hot picture. “That mouth is gonna get you in trouble.”
“Maybe that’s my plan.” She crossed her arms and dug her toes into the carpet. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m turned on and cold and feeling weird about you denying me. It’s bringing me back to… before, even though you’ve made it clear that’s not the case.” She shivered and flipped the switch for the automatic fireplace.
I rubbed her shoulders and pulled her against me. Her familiar and enticing smell assured me that somehow, even with my life being crazy, we could make this work. I kissed the side of her neck, and she molded into me. “We have decades of knowing each other, and with that comes a lot of emotions we’ll have to work through. I want us to be certain and on the same page before we go too far. Trust me on this: all I want to do is explore your body and learn everything about you.”
“Same page then,” she whispered. “What page are you on?”
“I want to explore this with you. I want to see where this goes.” I sighed, pulling her closer. “My life is complicated, messy, and I can’t just think of myself. God, if it was just me, there’d be no question about this, Char.”
She swallowed hard. “What doesexploremean to you?”
“That’s a great question.” I laughed, grateful that she hadn’t pulled away or said no yet. She could. Sheshould. Itwould be painful to let her go, but if she didn’t want me and all that came with my life, she should walk away. “I can’t really do date nights.”
